Trump safe after Secret Service shoots ‘armed suspect’ near golf club

The Republican presidential candidate is safe, his campaign team confirmed.

The person fled in an SUV and was later arrested by local police in a nearby county, officials said.

The officials were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to cite an ongoing investigation.

One of the officials said an AK-type firearm was seized at the crime scene near Trump’s golf course.

The golf course was partially closed while Trump was playing, and agents were already a few holes ahead of him when they noticed the person with the firearm, officials said.

The person appeared to push the muzzle of the rifle through the fence, and then the agents fired, officials said

Trump’s campaign and the Secret Service said he was safe, and the agency said the incident, which occurred shortly before 2 p.m. local time, was under investigation.

The incident occurred two months after Trump was shot and a bullet grazed his ear in an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.

Mr Trump returned to Florida this weekend from a West Coast tour that included a rally in Las Vegas on Friday night and a fundraiser in Utah.

No injuries were reported, according to a spokesman for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.

The White House said both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, had been informed and would be kept updated on the status of the investigation.

The White House added that it was “relieved” that Mr Trump was safe.

Ms Harris said in a statement she was “glad” that Mr Trump was safe, adding that “violence has no place in America”.

In an X-post, Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Trump’s key allies in Congress, said he had spoken to the former president after the incident and that he was “in good spirits” and “one of the strongest people I have ever known.”

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post Sunday that it stopped a vehicle on northbound Interstate 95 and took into custody a suspect believed to be connected to the shooting.

The sheriff’s office said the stop came after authorities in neighboring Palm Beach County issued a “beware!” warning.

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office post stated that the suspect was arrested near Palm City, Florida, about 45 miles north of Trump’s golf course. The northbound lanes of I-95 were closed, the sheriff’s office said.

Sheriff William Snyder told WPTV the suspect “was not armed when we got him out of the car.”

The man had a calm, composed demeanor and showed little emotion when he was stopped by police, Snyder said, adding that the suspect did not ask why he was stopped.

“He never asked, ‘What is this about?’ Obviously there were cops with long guns and flashing lights, it was busy. He never asked any questions,” Snyder said.

A Justice Department spokeswoman said Attorney General Merrick Garland has been briefed on the situation and receives regular updates.

Mr. Trump often spends the morning playing golf before having lunch at Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach, one of his three golf clubs in the state.

Since the assassination attempt in July, security measures against Mr Trump have been increased.

When he was at Trump Tower in New York, a row of trucks would park in a wall in front of the building. And at outdoor rallies, he now speaks from behind a shield of bulletproof glass.

A message sent to campaign staff requesting information on the security status and whereabouts of Trump’s vice presidential candidate JD Vance received no immediate response.

Max Egusquiza of Palm Beach described the emergency response outside Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach.

“From what I saw, five black, unmarked SUVs blocked a gray Mercedes in front of the golf course. About 20 or more police cars fled from the surrounding streets,” he said.